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Martin Blackwell, a Black Georgia truck driver, unleashed a vicious boiling water attack on a same-sex couple back in February. Blackwell was slapped with a 40-year sentence in a Fulton County court this past Wednesday (Aug. 24) after pouring the water on his girlfriend’s son and a partner.

The AJC reports:

Before sentencing Martin Blackwell to 40 years in prison, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Henry Newkirk told him how he felt about the boiling-water assault on a gay couple.

“You were soulless, malicious and a violent person on February 12,” Newkirk said.

That was the day Blackwell found his girlfriend’s son and a friend in bed together, both asleep after working overnight shifts. Blackwell, 48, didn’t approve of the gay relationship. So as Anthony Gooden and Marquez Tolbert slept, Blackwell found a large pot under the kitchen sink, filled it with water and boiled it, according to prosecutors. Then, Blackwell poured the scalding water on the men, causing serious burns requiring lengthy hospital stays and surgeries.

“You had so many outs, you had so many outs where the voice of reason could’ve taken over,” Newkirk said.

According to local and national reports, Blackwell appeared stoic as the family of the men, including Tolbert and Gooden, looked on with disgust. The men were approving of the sentence Blackwell, 48, was originally facing a plea deal that would have given him 30 years but he decided to fight the case full on. Blackwell’s gamble was a losing one and his attorney said his act was not meant to cause undue harm.

Blackwell’s gamble was a losing one and his attorney said his act was not meant to cause undue harm. The court saw otherwise.

Below is WSB-TV’s video report on the Martin Blackwell case.

Photo: WSB-TV